2014 Reflection

I’m not sure how many of you have made resolutions, but I found this on Pintrest and thought it was a great idea. It is a few days past the end of the year, but it’s never too late to reflect and learn from the previous year.

My 10 Highlights:

Vacationing at Pawley’s Island with my husband in April. It was a beautiful and relaxing trip (much needed).

2. Deciding to become foster parents for dogs through Kentucky S.A.V.E. We met a lot of great people and dogs!

3. Watching many of the students I worked with at Paul Laurence Dunbar graduate.

4. Passing the Special Education Praxis test.

5. Accepting a certified teaching position at Madison Middle School after countless interviews and rejections.

6. Participating in one of my closest friends’ weddings.

7. Successfully defending my research project after spending a great deal of time and energy on it.

Being pink slipped due to budget cuts. Although everything turned out well (I accepted a certified teaching position), it was still stressful and frightening.

Losing Penny for 12 hours. We found her and then decided to adopt her afterward, but it was a terrible day.

Unexpectedly losing a friend from Taiwan to an illness.

Not spending more time on my physical fitness.

Being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

Not following through with my goal to give up gluten. 2015 will be better!

Not spending more time growing closer to God.

Allowing others to take advantage of my kindness and use their power to dictate my actions.

Comparing myself to others rather than living my life to its fullest (this is a constant struggle for me).

Allowing stress and fear to consume me at times.

My 3 Game Changers:

Adopting a third dog.

Accepting a certified teaching position.

Agreeing to open my home to strange little fur animals.

My 3 Main Items of Focus:

Completing and defending my research project.

Apply for teaching positions.

Work

My 3 Forgetting Items:

Training for another half marathon.

Completing two minor house projects.

Reading multiple books on my book list.

For this year, I want to focus more attention on growing closer to God and getting back to optimal health. I hope to push myself harder when I exercise, leave behind foods that are not helping fuel my body, and spend more time doing activities that I truly love. I plan to spend more time outdoors hiking and I have always want to learn to play the guitar. So much of my time for the past two year has been spent on finding a teaching position and completing my Masters of Arts in Teaching degree that I have failed to pursue my hobbies and other activities that I enjoy. Furthermore, I am realizing that I need to establish a better work-life balance. What do you hope to accomplish in 2015? How will you allow what happened in 2014 to impact your new year?